


midnight boulevard

by moonfleur



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Demons, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Magical Realism, Minor Huang Ren Jun/Mark Lee/Na Jaemin, Werewolves, Witchcraft, Witches, best friends renhyuck, they are a coven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24907579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonfleur/pseuds/moonfleur
Summary: Donghyuck had grown to enjoy their monthly stroll through the eerie shadow realm. More often than not, the streets remained empty, the walls of the dimension causing the streetlights to cast pale blue circles on the ground. The silence too, while still slightly unnerving, was oddly calming at times, and he enjoyed seeing Taeil so free.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Moon Taeil
Comments: 28
Kudos: 56
Collections: Haechie Birthday Bash





	midnight boulevard

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Belated Hyuckie _and_ Taeil day ♡  
> 

Donghyuck stepped inside the store, the heavy wooden door swinging shut behind him and ringing the bell attached to the top a second time. The sound seemed to continue, its tinkling echoes floating through the rest of the store even after the bell had stopped moving. At the back of the store, a dishevelled, bespectacled head peered out from the edge of the doorway that Donghyuck knew led to the basement. He squinted over the edge of his glasses before his eyes widened in recognition.

“Donghyuck!” The boy’s voice, light and airy, was tinged with surprises. His eyes curving into pretty moon shapes as he smiled at Donghyuck before he stepped out of the doorway. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.” 

The rest of him looked about as frazzled as his head did, his shirt hung loosely over his small frame with some of the sections having come untucked from his pants. His cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue that made him look like he’d spent the last half an hour slaving under the hot sun, which, knowing him, was probably not the case.

“Renjun,” Donghyuck nodded in greeting. “Do I want to know why you look like the wrong side of a hay-stack?” Donghyuck’s grin widened into a wicked smile. “Is Jaemin over?”

Renjun scowled, flushing an even darker shade of red than Donghyuck would have thought possible, but he shook his head. “No, Hyuck. Can you get your head out of the gutter for more than half a second?”

“Never,” Donghyuck snorted, earning him a glare from Renjun to which he just gestured for Renjun to continue, which he did, but not before shooting Donghyuck the dirtiest look he’d ever seen. 

“I’m testing out some new brews. We managed to recover a couple more grimoires today and some of them had a few recipes I’ve never seen before.”

Donghyuck frowned. “Be careful, Injunnie. You know better than to play with magic you’re not sure of.”

Renjun huffed out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. According to the grimoire, this one is only supposed to be a mild sensory depressant. It’s just…” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “It’s required a lot more boiling than I thought it would. I’ve been stuck down there for the last five hours.”

Donghyuck’s frown deepened as he started to notice other things about Renjun — the shadows under his eyes that seemed days away from becoming a permanent fixture on his face, and the way Renjun’s hands were trembling slightly, probably from an unhealthy amount of caffeine. He tutted. “Five hours? Jeez, Junnie. Have you eaten at all today? Have you _slept?_ ”

Renjun waved him off. “Yes, yes. Mark came by earlier with lunch, don’t worry about me, Hyuck. I’m well taken care of.” Renjun paused. “Speaking of being taken care of, shouldn’t you be hurrying? The sun’s going down.”

Donghyuck’s head whipped towards the singular window that hadn’t been overrun with books and plants, and, sure enough, the sun had indeed started to set. Its golden rays spilt into the store, casting a deep orange hue over everything it touched and making the dust motes dance like little pinpricks of stardust before Donghyuck’s eyes. Donghyuck pulled out his phone anyway, just to double-check, and heaved a sigh of relief when it told him it was still only five-thirty in the evening. 

He looked back up at Renjun who was watching him expectantly, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. “I still have time. Go back to your brew, I’ll leave the payment on the counter when I’m done.”

Renjun’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward towards Donghyuck. Anyone smart enough would have found the look on Renjun’s face terrifying but Donghyuck has known him too long for the threat to even be mildly effective. That didn’t stop Renjun from advancing on him, and jabbing a bony finger into his chest. “Don’t you even think about trying to shortchange me this time or I’ll really change you into a rat.”

Donghyuck’s back twinged as memories came flooding back of the last time he hadn’t taken Renjun’s threat seriously. He swore he could still the tail attached to him on occasion. He shuddered at the thought and bit back the comeback that had started to form on the tip of his tongue. “I won’t. I’m not that stupid.”

Renjun snorted. “Could have fooled me.”

“Fuck you.”

“Love you too.” Renjun turned back and was just about to head back down into the basement when he paused, fingers curling around the wooden frame of the doorway as he looked back at Donghyuck. “Be careful tonight, okay?”

Donghyuck smiled, sincere this time. “I will.”

Once Renjun had disappeared back into the basement, Donghyuck returned his attention to the real reason he had come to the store — ingredients for the spell he needed to cast. Renjun was right, he shouldn’t have had to come this early — he had more than stocked up on ingredients last month — but it had been a busy month. He had had more requests than usual and it didn’t help that it had also been finals season, which meant that he had ended up making more calming draughts and anti-stress brews than he normally did. 

He wandered the aisles, pulling out dried herbs from the tiny drawers that lined the shelves of the herb aisle, allowing their familiar scents to wash over him and lull him into the state of calm he always felt whenever he visited Renjun’s shop. He never really understood if it was Renjun’s magic or the general effect of the magical plants on him but being in the shop never failed to relax him, even on his worst days. 

His next stop was the corner that lay half-shrouded at the far end of the store — being more of a hedge witch by nature, most of Renjun’s store was taken up by various potions (home-brewed of course) as well as the herbs and other ingredients for said potions. But the corner near the back of the store was where he sold the tools required for other kinds of magic and was kept glamoured from the non-magic clients that often sought for Renjun. 

It was lined with floor-to-ceiling dark oak shelves that housed everything from candles and wax seals to daggers and chalices that gleamed evilly as it caught the dim light of the lamps that hung overhead. Donghyuck didn’t need those though, he already had his own — family heirlooms that were passed down to him when he truly awoke to his power. What he did need was more candles, and chalk, and maybe even some salt just to be on the safe side. He grabbed as many of those as he could fit in his arms, really regretting his decision to not use one of his shopping bags, before he headed to the counter. 

Renjun, of course, was nowhere in sight having disappeared back down into the basement-cum-workshop, but Donghyuck knew the price of his purchases by heart anyway. Shifting his purchases so that they were balanced on one arm, Donghyuck reached into this back pocket and pulled out an envelope, already crushed from transport. It was flat, save for a little bulge in the middle that had Donghyuck brimming with self-satisfaction, Renjun would love it. 

You see, Renjun never asked for money from other witches, he always asked for a bit of their own magic in return — a spell for a spell, really. The envelope contained a spell of Donghyuck’s own crafting, its power sealed in a little wax sigil and if there was one thing Donghyuck knew about Renjun, it was his strange (but also dangerous) fascination with trying out new spells. This one, well, he’d left a note suggesting that he try it when Jaemin and Mark are around. 

He made a mental note to ask him how the spell went before closing his eyes and concentrating on the ingredients currently spilling out of his arms. The faded sigil on the back of his hand glowed a dim red before the items vanished, leaving Donghyuck only slightly winded. Not bad, he thought, considering he hadn’t renewed the sigil recently. He smiled smugly, before dusting his hands off and leaving the store. 

* * *

The familiar scent of their favourite Thai takeout being reheated was the first thing that greeted him when he finally got back to his apartment. The pile of purchases that he had transported back earlier lie stacked haphazardly on the coffee table from where he was toeing off his shoes in the hallway, and he breathed a sigh of relief. 

The transport spell was always a bit finicky and it had a habit of materialising his things in the strangest of places (like Taeil’s lap in the middle of a bath). That had led to a whole month’s worth of ruined ingredients on top of a very annoyed werewolf who had had to spend the remainder of his bath plucking pieces of herbs out of their bathtub. It had not been a pretty sight. 

“Ilie?” He called out as he entered the apartment proper, stopping briefly in the living room to make sure that all his purchases were accounted for.

“In the kitchen,” came the reply, voice so soft and warm that it immediately had Donghyuck’s heart skipping in his chest like some teenager with a schoolboy crush. He couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that even after almost four years together, Taeil still had that effect on him. 

Donghyuck found him plating up their dinner on the tiny island in the kitchen they liked to have their dinner at. His hair hung loose over his eyes, freshly washed, as he emptied out a container of green curry into a bowl. He had already changed into his usual PJs — one of Donghyuck’s own oversized t-shirts half-tucked into a pair of sweats that hung on his hips in a way that made Donghyuck’s mouth water. 

Donghyuck leaned against the wall, choosing to take in the sight of Taeil in his kitchen for a moment. Even now, he still found it hard to believe that he could have this, with Taeil. That Taeil was in his apartment, reheating their favourite takeout, that they, collectively, even had a favourite takeout place. The domesticity of everything, even now, still floored him on occasion. 

“You’re thinking some very loud thoughts over there,” Taeil said finally, breaking the silence without taking his gaze off from where he was spooning rice into bowls for them. “What’s on your mind, baby?”

Donghyuck smiled, pushing off the wall to wrap his arms around Taeil from behind. He nuzzled into Taeil’s neck, comforted by the familiar musky scent that was so quintessentially _Taeil_ intermingled with their usual coconut-scented body wash. It was an odd combination, for sure, but it made Donghyuck feel like he was home just the same. 

“Nothing,” he murmured, pressing a kiss into the junction between his shoulder and neck. “Just us.”

Taeil paused, arms hovering over the counter where he was stacking the empty container boxes. “Us?”

“Nothing bad, don’t worry,” Donghyuck laughed, squeezing his arms tighter around the softness that was Taeil’s belly. “Just happy.” He spun Taeil around, who thankfully had had the foresight to put the containers back down on the counter before he found himself facing Donghyuck. Taeil’s hands found his hips easily, fingers dancing lightly along the curve of them before he pulled Donghyuck closer. Donghyuck sighed contentedly, closing the gap to plant a kiss, light and chaste on his lips, tasting the spice on them from whatever Taeil must have sampled from their takeout. “I love you.”

Taeil huffed out a small laugh, ears reddening slightly in that way that had Donghyuck’s chest swelling before he returned the kiss with one of his own — small, peppered lightly on the tip of Donghyuck’s nose. “And I love you. But we need to eat, we’re running out of time.”

Donghyuck glanced at the large, ancient-looking grandfather clock that stood against the wall connecting the living room to the kitchen — another family heirloom — and winced when he noticed that it was almost seven. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t realise.” He turned his attention back to Taeil, this time to study his face carefully, eyes searching for any sign of the Change. “Are you okay? We can always eat after.”

“I’m fine, baby,” Taeil answered, squeezing Donghyuck’s hip in reassurance. “I’m not letting you cast without getting some food down you. Now, let’s eat. If anything, I can hold it back long enough for you to do the spell.”

Donghyuck frowned, lips pursing but nodded. “Fine. But take your potion, I think we still have a couple left in the fridge.”

Taeil laughed, pressing a kiss into Donghyuck’s temple before pulling away from him. “I will. When have I ever not taken my potion? Now, go sit, I’ll be over in a bit.”

Donghyuck mourned the loss of Taeil’s warmth for a second before he sat himself down on the opposite side of the counter from where they were standing. He watched Taeil root around in their fridge for a few minutes, ignoring the clinks of glass against glass as Taeil inevitably shoved aside his other brews to get to his stash at the back. 

He returned to the counter, dark blue bottle in hand, and sat himself across from Donghyuck. It was stoppered with a cork and its neck was tied with a brown string on which hung a little label with a drawing of a wolf on it. Renjun’s handiwork of course (he’d made the other witch draw him a whole stack the last time he’d lost a bet against Donghyuck), because Donghyuck’s artistic talents only extended to sigils and pentagrams and that was that. 

Taeil unstoppered the bottle, releasing a small cloud of dark purple smoke which made the air around them smell like a disgusting combination of overly ripe fruit and wildflowers. Taeil wrinkled his nose in disgust, and Donghyuck almost felt sorry for him, knowing that Taeil’s nose was about a hundred times more sensitive than his. _Almost._ Maybe. If the potion wasn’t the only thing responsible for making the Change more bearable for Taeil and kept him from going off the rails too much. 

Taeil swallowed it down in one gulp before promptly shoving heaping spoonfuls of rice into his mouth to drown out the taste. “Urgh,” he groaned, around a particularly large mouthful. “It never gets better.”

Donghyuck reached across and gave his arm a squeeze before picking up his own spoon. “I’m sorry. But it’s really the only thing that works.”

“I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Donghyuck laughed as he took a bite of his own food. He wasn’t sure Taeil was aware of it but he always got a bit more _whiny_ during this time of the month. Instead of being annoyed, though, Donghyuck always found it oddly endearing. He took in the jut of Taeil’s lower lip as he frowned at his food and felt nothing other than pure, unadulterated affection (and maybe just the slight urge to bite into it, just a little, but he shoved that thought away before it could take root). 

They finished their dinner in record time, both of them tag-teaming to do the dishes because they both knew that after a night like the one they were about to have, they would both be too exhausted to even think about acting like functional human beings (on Donghyuck’s part anyway), let alone functional adults. 

Despite the speed with which they’d eaten, Taeil was already starting to exhibit signs of the Change — his eyes were starting to flicker between his usual brown and a deep gold that almost glowed and Donghyuck was starting to hear the popping of some of his joints too. He hated that; it never sounded pleasant and Donghyuck knew that it hurt just as bad as it sounded too. 

Sweat was starting to bead across Taeil’s forehead and Donghyuck reached out to wipe at it with the back of his hand. He brushed away some of the sweat-slick strands so that he could cup Taeil’s face gently. “Don’t hold it back, okay? I know you don’t like doing it in the house but Change if you have to. You’re hurting yourself.”

Taeil groaned and his eyes flashed golden as he reached up to clutch at Donghyuck’s hand, always gentle with him even though Donghyuck knew that, in this state, he could crush his hand without a second thought. “The house…” he gasped, trailing off as he was wracked by another shudder, and Donghyuck couldn’t hide his grimace at the cracking of his joints.

“Go into the study. The circle you usually use is still drawn, you can wait in there if you want. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

Taeil looked like he was about to argue but Donghyuck just shook his head and pressed a kiss firmly against his cheek. “Go. It’ll be fine.”

Groaning, Taeil pulled away from Donghyuck to drag himself down the hallway to the room at the far end. That room technically was supposed to be the master bedroom but Donghyuck had found out after moving in that it sat perfectly atop a crossing of two ley lines, making it the best place for him to work on his magic. This made it highly inevitable that it would be converted into anything but a study for Donghyuck, even if it meant the absence of an ensuite.

Being right on top of crossing ley lines also meant that Donghyuck would be able to draw on its power and make use of the natural magic to strengthen himself during times — like tonight — when he would do castings that required tremendous amounts of power and concentration, more so than his usual spells.

Once Taeil disappeared into the room, Donghyuck rushed to the coffee table to pick out the herbs and candles he needed along with the packet of salt and a fresh piece of chalk, just in case. He liked to keep the Witch’s Circle he used for this particular casting permanently chalked into the floor but one could never be too careful — any disturbance in the circle could cause the spell to go completely awry. Mistakes like that have cost many an unsuspecting witch’s life.

He was just grabbing the last of the items when he heard a crash come from the room followed by a loud yell that slowly morphed into a much deeper howl. He felt the familiar pull in his gut signalling the activation of one of his lesser circles and breathed a sigh of relief; Taeil must have managed to get himself into it before fully Changing but he didn’t like what that crash entailed. 

Donghyuck raced down the hall anyway, juggling the stack of ingredients in his arms precariously as he threw open the door to the study. The victim of Taeil’s change this time was one of his cabinets, which was completely upended, its contents strewn all over that corner of the room while its doors hung precariously off broken hinges. Thankfully, that seemed to be the only damage Taeil had managed to cause before he’d thrown himself into one of the circles at the back of the room. 

Donghyuck turned towards the circle and felt his breath catch a little in his throat. There Taeil sat, in all his magnificent glory, gold eyes boring into Donghyuck’s in a way that had his heart stuttering a little. His fur gleamed a beautiful auburn under the warm light of the room and even sitting down on his haunches he was almost as tall as Donghyuck. Seeing Taeil as a wolf never failed to take Donghyuck’s breath away. _So beautiful._

Donghyuck deposited his things on the desk he had pushed up against the side of the room, before circling around the drawing set into the centre of the floor to get to Taeil. The circle was holding well, and the potion kept Taeil lucid enough that he wasn’t attempting to try his luck against the magical barrier. The barrier wouldn’t prevent Donghyuck from crossing though, so he reached an arm across it, holding it out in front of Taeil for him to smell. 

“Ilie,” he whispered, smiling when the wolf whined and shoved his nose right into Donghyuck’s open palm. Donghyuck curled his fingers into the fur of his muzzle, giving his nose a light scratch. “You did great. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough.” Taeil snorted in disagreement, making Donghyuck laugh. “I wasn’t! But I’ll make up for it. Just give me a couple of minutes, okay?” He gave Taeil one last scratch under his chin before returning to his desk. 

He grabbed five of the wooden bowls stacked against the wall on his desk and laid them out in front of him. He placed different sprigs in three of them, muttering incantations as he did. Power from the leyline, silvery and flowing, seeped into him as he kept at his task. It made his blood sing and he knew that if he looked into a mirror his eyes would be a brilliant silver, his body almost bursting as it tried to contain the power that was flowing into him. 

He held onto it though, even as he felt it threaten to spill over. Held the power deep in his core as he quickly carved a rune into one of the smooth stones he kept in the drawers under his desk and dropped it into the fourth bowl. The magic in him made his skin tingle, body thrumming with energy as he grabbed the dagger that lay on the desk and brought it against his palm. His blood spilt almost silver into the last bowl, so infested it was with the power from the ley lines, before he was wiping the knife and bandaging the wound. Normally he would put some healing salve on it, especially with what he was about to do but he figured he could get away with it for one night. 

Grabbing the bowls he laid them at intervals around the circle, chanting as he went, only stopping to draw an extra circle of salt around it, for extra protection. When that was done he called out the final phrase and released the power he had been holding, it surged into the circle, filling the lines with a bright silvery glow before it converging in the middle where it’s singular point flattened into a line. The line then drew itself upward so that it was like Donghyuck was looking at a screen of silver mist — a doorway. It cast the rest of the room in a pale white light that seemed to leech the colours from everything around them, but that was nothing compared to the energy that radiated from it — he could feel it pulsing through the doorway in waves, deep, and dark, almost stifling in a way that had Donghyuck choking. 

Donghyuck frowned, especially when an unfamiliar sensation settled in his gut. To be safe, he double-checked the circles — both chalk and salt — and only when he was satisfied that they were all intact did he finally head back to where Taeil was sitting and watching patiently. He dragged his foot through the chalk, breaking the line. Immediately, Taeil half bounded out with a full-body shake before going up to Donghyuck and nudging his head against Donghyuck’s shoulder before turning to look at the screen. 

Donghyuck sighed, running a hand through the fur of Taeil’s neck for comfort. “Okay, we’re going. But stay close tonight, okay?” Something was different tonight, the unfamiliar sensation in his gut weighed on him heavily, and Donghyuck didn’t like it. Donghyuck got nothing but a lick across the cheek in response but he knew that Taeil understood him, his potion made sure of that. Exhaling heavily, he put one hand on Taeil and, together, they stepped into the circle and through the doorway. 

* * *

Crossing the threshold was always a weird sensation, it was almost like walking into a wall of cold mist except that the mist also felt like it was searing the first layer of your skin away and you came out the other side feeling just a little bit tingly. It always felt disconcerting to Donghyuck, who always felt like he should be at least a little bit damp after walking through it but never did. At least the burning didn’t hurt them anymore, not after Donghyuck had tattooed a sigil against hellfire on both him and Taeil after the first time they’d crossed over. 

Donghyuck took in his surroundings, which were still his study except everything was coloured different shades of blue — almost as if someone had taken a sepia filter, dyed it a deep blue, and blanketed the entire world with it. Except this wasn’t his world, not exactly anyway. He was in the First Circle, the dimension that sat right on top of the human world and housed the lowest levels of Demonkind. They were the ones humans sometimes caught glimpses of — the figures you see out of the corner of your eye and the noises you hear even when there is no one around but yourself — because they were the closest to the human world, especially when the barrier between the dimensions flickered enough. 

It was here that Donghyuck liked to take Taeil on the nights he Changed because, while Donghyuck’s potion helped him retain his lucidity, it didn’t cure the bloodlust and the overwhelming need to _hunt_ that came with turning into a wolf. Before meeting Donghyuck, Taeil’s only solution had been to chain himself up in silver in order to prevent himself from accidentally killing people during the Change. It was a horrible solution and Taeil will bear the scars for the rest of his life. An unrestrained anger immediately started to bubble up within Donghyuck at the memory of finding Taeil chained in, of all things, _silver,_ but he quashed it. This was no place for emotions like that. 

Finding the spell that opened the doorway to this dimension provided Taeil with the hunting game he needed and it gave Donghyuck a chance to study the way the dimension and the demons within it worked. 

A low bark startled him out of his thoughts and he turned towards it to find Taeil looking at him expectantly from where he was waiting in the hallway. “Alright, alright. I’m coming,” Donghyuck said, huffing out a laugh. “Let’s go hunt some demons.”

Donghyuck and Taeil’s apartment was very well warded, Donghyuck had made sure of it, which meant that the first demon they encountered was only after they had descended the steps that let out onto the main street. It was a small, grotesque, imp-like thing that looked like a cross between a monkey and a goat. Its eyes burned like coals in its head and it let out the most horrific screech that sounded like a thousand nails on a chalkboard, when it caught sight of Donghyuck and Taeil, making all the hairs on Donghyuck’s body stand on end. 

Donghyuck was already drawing on his power in case the demon tried to attack him, which it looked about two seconds away from doing, when Taeil went for it. Donghyuck barely had time to register Taeil’s departure from his side before his jaws were closing around the little demon, his fangs sinking deep into it. Donghyuck watched in thinly-veiled interest as it let out another horrible screech before it burst into flames, consumed completely by hellfire. 

Taeil looked back at him and, if Donghyuck didn’t know better, he’d swear that Taeil had a smug look on his giant wolf face. Donghyuck rolled his eyes fondly and walked over to where Taeil was waiting for him. 

“What?” Donghyuck asked before lowering his voice an octave and leaning in towards Taeil’s ear. “Do you want me to tell you that you’re a good boy?” 

Taeil growled, low in his chest, a deep rumbling sound that Donghyuck could feel in his own body. He chuckled and pressed his lips to the small patch of white fur between his eyes. “Later then.”

Contrary to what everyone might think, the First Circle wasn’t _that_ dangerous — sure, it was the home dimension for many lesser demons but between Donghyuck’s magic and Taeil’s, well, teeth, they were more than a match for any demon stupid enough to attack them. Thankfully, that didn’t happen too often, and Donghyuck had grown to enjoy their monthly stroll through the eerie shadow realm.

More often than not, the streets remained empty, the walls of the dimension causing the streetlights to cast pale blue circles on the ground. Occasionally, the barriers would waver and Donghyuck would be able to catch glimpses of the human world — shadow figures where people were standing in the human realm. Sometimes they would appear right in front of him and Donghyuck would have to battle the strange urge to reach for them, to see if he could touch them, or if they would feel him. But he knew better than to meddle, he was already testing his limits with these monthly trips.

Another thing Donghyuck had noticed was the strange, heavy silence that seemed to hang over them, almost palpable, like a slight pressure against his skin. It had unnerved him the first time they had crossed over and it still unnerved him now. It was the complete absence of every familiar sound — the sound of the wind rushing through the trees, the hum of traffic, the murmur of human voices that fill up the spaces of silence in your life. It was like stepping into a sensory deprivation room where they took away your hearing and left you only able to see in shades of blue. 

Of course, there was the occasional screech of a demon and the sound of his own ears popping every time the barriers flexed, which made the buildings look like they were printed on a piece of cloth that was being consistently inflated and deflated with the wind. It had been disorienting at first and their first trip had resulted in terrible cases of motion sickness on both their parts, but that had been years ago. Now, Donghyuck barely noticed the flexing of the barriers. The silence too, while still slightly unnerving, was also oddly calming at times and he enjoyed seeing Taeil so free. 

The wolf would bound up and down the street, never straying too far from Donghyuck to put him in any danger, even though Donghyuck was more than capable of looking after himself. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of a demon and would look back, golden eyes glowing eagerly, as if he was asking Donghyuck for permission and who was Donghyuck to deny him the pleasure of a good hunt. 

Tonight was no different, Donghyuck strolled down the empty street as Taeil ran circles around him, occasionally darting away to give chase to some demon or other — one of the ones stupid enough to show itself to them anyway. Donghyuck knew there were way more than he could see, could feel their eyes on him as they watched from empty windows and rooftops but they were the ones with enough sense to stay out of their way. 

Donghyuck watched in fond amusement as Taeil chased after yet another demon, a larger one this time that looked a bit like a ram except that every time it breathed, fire came out of its nostrils in wisps. This one must have made a clear decision to challenge Taeil because it didn’t back down, choosing to face him head-on with its horns at the ready. Taeil snorted, seemingly unimpressed and Donghyuck had to suppress a laugh — while Taeil as a human was probably the sweetest person Donghyuck knew (sorry Jisung), Taeil as a wolf was something else completely. Especially now, when the full moon was at its peak and the sway it held over Taeil was the strongest. 

Taeil snarled once, the only warning he gave before he was lunging straight for the demon’s jugular. Donghyuck would have been impressed if the weird sensation in his gut hadn’t chosen that exact moment to amplify. He gasped, doubling over as his gut twisted itself into a pretzel. His knee hit the ground, jarring his already muddled senses, and Taeil was beside him in an instant, shoving his head against Donghyuck’s shoulder as a low whine escaped him. 

Around him, the barriers were beginning to pulse even more than they’ve ever had before, making it look like the world was stretching and expanding around him. With each pulse, the wrenching in his gut became more insistent, and he curled even more into himself in the hopes that it would subside. It didn’t hurt so much as it felt like his insides were expanding alongside the pulsing of the barriers. That same suffocating feeling from before welled up in him and he nearly gagged at the intensity. The barriers roiled above him, and it was then that he noticed a strange bulging in the barrier just a couple of meters ahead of him, a strange darkness that seemed to be pushing against it.

Donghyuck could see where the barriers were starting to be stretched thin, like a bubble gum bubble that was being blown too big, could feel the pulsing of energy a lot darker and heavier than the one that buzzed within this circle. It was starting to seep through the barriers — yes, _barriers,_ because the more Donghyuck watched, the more it became clear that whatever this thing was, it was trying to break through multiple Levels, especially now that Donghyuck was starting to catch faint whiffs of sulphur and ash. 

Donghyuck’s heart shot up into his throat when he realised what that meant, the churning in his gut messing with his thought process, and he immediately reached for Taeil who ducked his head under Donghyuck’s outstretched arm so that Donghyuck could use him as a crutch. The feeling of fur and heat under his palm grounded him just enough and he took a giant shuddering breath, all while keeping his eyes trained on the darkness in the barrier. 

“We have to get out of here,” he whispered as he used Taeil to pull himself to his feet. “Now.” 

That had to be a Lower Circle denizen, something from the Fifth or even lower, judging from the smell and the sheer intensity of its dark energy. He watched as the barriers stretched once more, dark energy pulsing from it in waves that made him feel nauseous. It wouldn’t be able to break through, it _shouldn’t,_ but Donghyuck wasn’t going to stick around to find out. 

He gave Taeil’s flank a tap. “Let’s go.”

Instead of turning back, like Donghyuck was expecting, Taeil lowered himself to the ground with a grunt. “No.” Donghyuck shook his head. “I’m not letting you carry me.” The tugging in his gut had become more intense but he could still walk by himself, even if it meant that it would be a little slower than normal. Taeil, however, wasn’t having it. He let out a low growl before tugging on the sleeve of Donghyuck’s sweater with his teeth.

“Fine,” Donghyuck grumbled, hooking a leg over Taeil’s back. “But we’re talking about this when you get back.”

Taeil only huffed as he stood back up before he was taking off down the street towards their apartment and the portal back to their own dimension. Despite the growing distance between them and whatever was trying to break through the barriers, the energy level barely lessened. Only when they crossed the wards that Donghyuck had set up around his apartment did the thrum of energy finally quieten. It was still there, though, Donghyuck could feel it just beyond the bounds of his wards, like a mugging feeling in the back of his mind, and a part of him couldn’t help but wonder how long his wards would be able to hold it off. He shook his head, hopefully, he wouldn’t have to think about that.

Taeil didn’t stop running all the way through the apartment building until they were through the portal, skidding to a halt just before they slammed into the back wall of Donghyuck’s study. Being back in the human world hit him like a truck and he tumbled off Taeil’s back with a gasp, he could already feel the exhaustion seeping into his bones from holding the portal open that long but he couldn’t collapse now. He had to close it. 

He crawled to his feet and dragged himself to the desk. The dagger was still lying where he had left it earlier and he grabbed it to reopen the gash in his palm, ignoring the sting. He held it over the bowl that already had his blood and chanted the incantation. Immediately, the doorway flickered and then disappeared, the thread of energy tying Donghyuck to it snapping, and he collapsed on the floor. He was vaguely aware of Taeil coming up to him, the sounds of his distressed whines filtering through the cotton and white noise that his head had become. Maybe he heard someone call his name, too, but he wasn’t sure if that was happening inside his head or outside of it. He reached around blindly until his fist closed around a handful of fur and then finally, he let the darkness take him.

* * *

When he woke, he was in his bed, enveloped by familiar arms and familiar warmth. The sun was casting rays of light across the end of their bed through the gaps in the curtains and the sheer brightness of it all made him wince and tuck himself into the crook of Taeil’s neck. His head felt like lead, his mouth was so dry that his tongue felt like it was double in size and stuck to the roof of his mouth, and everything just _hurt._ Not to mention the gash on his palm was starting to itch under the bandage. He paused. Bandage?

He opened an eye gingerly and sure enough, there was a bandage wrapped around his hand, the sharp tang of the healing salve wafting towards him when he brought his palm out of the covers. Strange. Taeil only ever Changed back after sunrise but, from what he could tell, the bandage had to have been on for at least a couple of hours. He lifted his arm, ignoring the strain in his muscles as he examined the bandage closely — the last thing he remembered was passing out on the floor of his study so unless he’d maybe found some way to do things while unconscious…

His thoughts were interrupted by someone clearing his throat in the doorway. He turned (very slowly) half out of not wanting to jostle Taeil too much as he peered over him and half out of the sheer agony he felt when he tried to move his body. In the doorway stood a very disgruntled looking Renjun, flanked by an almost apologetic-looking Mark. 

“What happened?” He groaned, sitting up slowly and adjusting the covers, suddenly all too aware that Taeil was naked underneath them, a common occurrence post-Change. His voice sounded like he’d spent the night swallowing nails but he figured things could be worse, he could be dead. 

Renjun crossed his arms and gave him a pained look. “I told you to be careful, didn’t I? Something almost tore through the barriers last night, the entire First Circle is in shambles.”

Donghyuck froze, blood running cold at his words. “But it didn’t, right? It didn’t manage to?”

“No,” Renjun answered, but he didn’t look relieved and there was something in his voice that had Mark curling a protective arm around him. “But the barriers between the first three Circles were ripped to shreds releasing greater demons into the First Circle.” Renjun sighed, hand coming up to pinch at his nose bridge in barely concealed frustration. “You could have died, Hyuckie. You’d been exposed to so much dark energy it took all three of us to expel it from you. If we hadn’t gotten here in time…”

Donghyuck looked away, his ears heating up slightly. Underneath the covers, Taeil shifted and wrapped an arm around him in silent support even though his eyes remained closed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and was immediately enveloped in a tight hug as Renjun practically threw himself onto him, uncaring of Taeil who was still lying between them.

“It’s not your fault,” Renjun said, pulling away to look him in the eyes. “I’m just surprised you didn’t feel it earlier. Even we did,” Renjun looked at Mark who nodded.

“It was horrible, it was the sickest I’d ever felt in my life.”

Donghyuck grimaced, remembering the churning in his gut and how it had brought him to his knees. “Yeah, it was pretty freaking terrible from the First Circle.”

Mark sighed. “You’re an idiot. You’re lucky Jaemin is clairvoyant and saw you passed out in your study.”

Donghyuck immediately felt a rush of gratitude and affection towards the other witch followed by an immense pang of guilt for always choosing to make his life difficult whenever they were around each other. “Thank him for me please.”

“Thank him yourself,” Renjun replied, smiling slightly as he finally let go of Donghyuck. “He’s in the kitchen making breakfast, so come out when you’re done. We have a lot to talk about.” Renjun cast a sideways glance at Taeil, who was still lying motionless under the covers. “And you can stop pretending to be asleep now, Taeil.”

That had Mark huffing out a laugh and he gave Donghyuck’s legs a pat. “We’ll see you outside, Hyuckie.” 

When they had left, Donghyuck collapsed back onto the bed with a groan. Renjun was right, whatever had tried to break through last night would only try again, and the barriers were a lot weaker now. He rolled over onto his side until he was facing Taeil and gave him a little poke through the sheets.

“How much of that did you hear, Ilie?”

Taeil’s grip around him tightened and he was pulled closer until they were almost flush against each other. “Everything?” Taeil’s answered, eyes fluttering open with a smile. He pressed a gentle kiss to Donghyuck’s forehead. “How are you feeling, baby?”

“Like shit.”

Taeil huffed out a laugh but Donghyuck could see the concern in his eyes and it made his heart ache. “I’m sorry for making you worried.”

Taeil sighed, fingers reaching out to brush strands of hair out of his face before resting them on his cheekbone. “It’s okay. Like Renjun said, it wasn’t your fault. I just— I couldn’t do anything, as a wolf. And I felt so helpless. I don’t know what I would have done if they hadn’t shown up.”

The ache in his chest multiplied tenfold upon seeing the wounded look on Taeil’s face and it hurt him to see Taeil like that, so openly distraught. Carefully, like he was handling the most precious thing in the world, he took Taeil’s face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here. I’m okay.”

Taeil leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering shut but Donghyuck could see the way he was trembling slightly and knew that, right now, what Taeil needed was a physical reminder, a confirmation that he was here, that he was alright. So he let his body speak for him, pressing in closer until they were tangled up in each other before slotting their lips together again. 

Taeil gasped into the kiss, fingers tightening around Donghyuck’s waist in a way that Donghyuck knew would leave marks later but he didn’t care. He curled his fingers into Taeil’s hair to draw him closer, nipping lightly at his lower lip until Taeil was groaning into his mouth. They allowed themselves to get lost in the feel of each other for a while before Taeil finally pulled away looking thoroughly debauched. His pupils were completely blown, his hair was a mess, there was a mark blooming just above his clavicle and his lips were so red and kiss-swollen that Donghyuck wanted nothing more than to keep them that way all day. But there were things that needed to be done. 

He reached up to cup Taeil’s cheek. “Feel better?”

Taeil smiled, turning to press a kiss into the palm of Donghyuck’s hand. “Much. Thank you.”

Donghyuck surged up to plant one more kiss on Taeil’s lips ignoring the way his body protested the movement. “I’ll be more careful next time, okay? I promise.”

“You better be,” Taeil growled lightly, eyes narrowing at Donghyuck for a second before his gaze softened. “I can’t lose you.”

Donghyuck’s heart squeezed in his chest and he leaned up to press their foreheads together. “I’ll try. I love you, you know.”

Taeil laughed, an almost sad, wet sound that threatened to break Donghyuck’s resolve. “And I love you. We should go, though, or Renjun’s gonna come in here any minute and drag you out on your ass.”

Donghyuck snorted, but he pulled away to push himself upright anyway. “Like you’ll let him.”

“Oh, I would. You know I don’t interfere with coven business.” Taeil shot him a smile, a proper one this time — one that reached his eyes and showed off his unnaturally sharp teeth and oh if only Taeil knew the things Donghyuck would do to keep him smiling like that for the rest of their lives. 

So he did what he had to do...

He chucked a pillow at him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading!!♡ 
> 
> I don't know if I will ever continue this verse (even though I basically left it on a cliffhanger) but we will see :) Please leave a kudos/comment if you enjoyed it!
> 
> Find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/moonfleur_) or [curious cat](http://curiouscat.me/moonfleur_) ♥︎


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